A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to: war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every inhabited continent in the world has experienced a period of famine throughout history. In historical and modern data, the Americas have been among the least famine-affected regions globally. During the 19th and 20th centuries, China, India, Europe, and the Middle East suffered the greatest number of fatalities due to famine. Deaths caused by famine declined sharply beginning in the 1970s, with numbers falling further since 2000. In 2011, millions in East Africa were affected by famine. As of 2025, Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza have experienced famine.